Back Again
by ylianaqt
Summary: Caroline returns to Mystic Falls after 5 years away, not completely prepared for what she comes home to.
1. It's Good To Be Home

**A/n: First Karoline fic, but I love the pairing! They have such good chemistry on the show. Anyway, I'm not going to bore you with a long author's note, but I have to add in that I don't own these characters, just the plot. Enjoy!**

Back Again

Chapter one: It's Good To Be Home

Caroline's heart pounded in nervous anticipation as she passed the road sign that read, "Mystic Falls 10". She would be home for the first time in 5 years in just about 15 minutes. She hit the gas, wanting to get there faster. It was not as if she had chosen to stay away from her mom and all her old friends for so long for any particular reason, but when she had decided to go away to college like any normal, non- vampire, 18 year old girl, she had found that getting away from all the drama and chaos that she had been living with throughout her junior and senior year was a welcome breath of fresh air. She needed that time to herself so that she could think about her eminent endless future away from her loving and helpful- yet smothering – friends, Bonnie and Elena. She still kept in touch with the two of them, but she didn't call them nearly as often as she should have. Bonnie and Elena! Goodness, just thinking about seeing them again was enough to make her excited for her lame 5 year high school reunion. It wasn't as if this would be her last 5 year reunion to attend, but it would be her first, so that had to count for something, right?

When Caroline pulled into town, it looked as if nothing had changed. The parking lot of The Grill was packed with trucks, and there were quite a few teenagers milling about, trying to find something fun to do. Of course, there were a few more trees planted in town square, and it looked like there was a semi-fresh coat of paint on City Hall, but of course those little changes were always happening; Mayor Lockwood jumped at any chance to throw another party/fundraiser, it was what the town was good at. After just a short drive, Caroline pulled up the driveway of her childhood home which was still home base for her mom, the town sheriff. _Well, here goes nothing_, she thought as she applied a quick layer of her favorite lip gloss, stepped out of the car and threw her keys in her purse without bothering to lock the car doors. In her 18 years living in Mystic Falls, she had heard of one car getting broken into, and that was when Stefan had broken into Elena's car to fill it with balloons and flowers for her 18th birthday.

Caroline ruffled her medium length, loosely curled, blonde hair as she walked up the drive and walked through the front door like she did when she had still lived there. "Mom, I'm home!" she called, as she glanced around to see if her mom was in her usual comfy chair in the living room where she could almost always be found after a long day at the office. Instead, Ms. Forbes walked out of the kitchen, drying her hands on a dish towel as she did so.

"Caroline! I'm so glad to see you! How was the drive?" Caroline crossed the foyer vampire-quick and pulled her mom in for a tight hug. Ms. Forbes stiffened at the unexpectedly abrupt contact, but quickly softened in her daughter's arms. It had been too long since she had seen her only daughter, having visited her once a year while Caroline was in college, but it was still not enough. Caroline knew that she missed being able to give her hugs like this one, and she didn't let go for a while.

"It was easy, and pretty fast," Caroline responded when the two finally broke apart. "I'm just glad to be home again, I've really missed this place."

"Well, I thought that you might be hungry after your long drive," her mother said as she turned back to the kitchen and Caroline followed her. "I made all of your favorites, pork chops, rice casserole, and asparagus." Of course, Caroline's mother knew that she was a vampire, and that regular food was not exactly what she'd need to sedate her hunger, feeding her daughter her childhood favorites was all she knew to do, and it was the thought that counted. It wasn't as if she expected her mom to bring her some freshly killed wild game.

"That sounds perfect, mom" Was her only response.

The old, wooden table was set exactly like it always was, from the flowered yellow placemats, to the blue cutlery and the crystal pitcher of lemon zinger iced tea. Seeing the table set like that made Caroline feel like so content and loved, and as if she had never left home in the first place.

When Caroline was unpacking in her old room a little after dinner, she felt that familiar dry and burning sensation in her throat and realized how right her mom actually was to assume that she'd be hungry after her long trip. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't fed since the night before she left because she had run out of blood from the local blood bank, and had been in such a hurry that morning that she didn't have time for a trip to the woods to grab a quick snack. Rather than head over to the hospital for a quick raid, Caroline decided that it would do her some good to go for a nice walk in the forest to get some fresh air, and collect herself before she called up Elena and Bonnie to tell them that she was back in town.

She stopped on her way out to throw a light jacket to go along with her dark shinny jeans, brown leather boots, and white lace top. Even though the cold didn't affect her anymore, she had to keep up appearances in case she ran across someone. Caroline ran out the back door and into the woods, relishing the free feeling of running as fast as she could. Before she knew it, she had run miles, and found herself on a piece of land that she had made it a point to avoid whenever she could. It was the land that Klaus had bought and rebuilt that mansion on when he was planning on bringing his family back to life. After all that had gone down between Caroline, her friends, and the Mikaelson family, Caroline preferred to just ignore the place all together to avoid the chance of any conflict.

However, when Caroline decided to turn around and focus on finding something to drink, she turned to find a handsome, well built, muscular man leaning against a tree with a familiar cocky smirk on his face.

"Why Caroline, what a pleasure it is to run into you here. You look a bit thirsty, would you like to come in for a drink?" The man asked coolly. Caroline searched her brain for a clever excuse not to go with the man, but couldn't come up with anything. _This is what I get after 5 years of college education? _She thought to herself bitterly. Without an excuse, she found herself answering with,

"Thanks Klaus, I'd love to."

**A/n: I hope you guys liked it! I know that I barely scratched the surface, but believe me when I tell you that it'll get a lot deeper in the next few chapters. I'm going to try and get the next chapter up by the end of the week. PS. I can't tell you how much I love to read reviews (Wink Wink)!**


	2. An Interesting Meeting

**A/n: Here you go, not as fastas I wanted, but at least I didn't make y'all wait forever. Thanks to all of you who added me on your alert list and reviewed! Special thanks to LaLaALa521 for my first review on this fic! Here we go...**

Back Again

Chapter Two: An Interesting Meeting

Caroline's breathing quickened as she followed Klaus into his beautifully, renovated mansion. Besides that fact that she was meekly following a sexy-killer original, the fact that everywhere she looked, she saw an intimidating display of wealth and power made her even more uncomfortable. When she caught a faint smile on the corner of his mouth, she realized that he could hear her erratic breathing and took a couple deep breaths in an attempted to slow it down. She would have blushed if she could. _Damn vampire! _She thought to herself_. I've been back for just one day, and I'm already getting myself back into these screwed up situations!_ In an attempt to break the slightly awkward silence that was becoming more awkward by the second, she decided to be polite and ask him, "What have you been up to lately, Klaus?"

"Oh, this and that." Was his cryptic reply.

"Such as…"

"Well, as you can see, I still live here. Rebekah lives here with me, and the two of us have started up a bit of a business together. I have also taken over as head of the Founders Council, as I believe that I am the best qualified person around for the position, so I've kept myself busy". Klaus delivered his short speech in a lazy manor, apparently deciding to grace her with a real answer that time.

"That's… interesting," Caroline answered, for lack of a better adjective. "It must be nice to have your sister stay with you, even after everything that has happened. What is the nature of the business you two started up?"

"Oh, that doesn't really concern you." Back to being cryptic.

"I see." Was her short response. If he wasn't going to make any effort at small talk, then there was no point for her to. The faster they got this over with, the faster she could leave. When the two reached the living room, Klaus gestured for Caroline to sit on one of the leather couches, and poured Caroline a drink from a decanter filled with red liquid that was sitting on an ornate side table among a large collection of other bottles. Blood. She could smell it from across the room, and it made the dry feeling in her throat flare up again, making it feel as if it were burning.

"Here you go, my dear," Klaus said, handing her a glass, and holding up his own. "We might was well have a toast to your return, shall we?"

Caroline clinked her glass with his, and muttered "Cheers" in response, yet she was already starting to wonder if her return was really something toastable. She had been back in town for one night, was already in the presence of an original vampire, and had yet to see her friends. Being around Klaus was making her feel uncomfortable. Not only had they had many mishaps in the past, but he the way he fit in with his rich surroundings, and the way his clothes fit his muscular body was starting to get to her. As an extremely attractive blonde, she had plenty of men come up to her when she went out with her friends, yet she hadn't really gone on any dates or anything. It was just too weird to date someone with the knowledge that she'd stay young forever and these men would continue to age, the thought made it too depressing to think about getting close with any of them. It was disconcerting to be around a man again who was in the same boat as her, immortal.

When she took a sip she tasted a hint of something else mixed in with the blood.

"Whiskey, nice touch," she said aloud. Finally pulling herself out of her thoughts and glancing up to make eye contact with the man sitting on the couch across from her, Caroline noticed that he was already staring at her with a curious expression on his chiseled face. She would have called it calculated interest if she didn't know any better.

Klaus caught her eye, and quickly looked away, "Thanks Caroline, it a personal favorite of mine; However, Rebekah prefers the brandy." He responded, and the look on his face was replaced with one of disinterest. Not knowing what to say next and tired of the polite and stilted conversation, Caroline set her now-empty glass on the table, and prepared to stand up to leave.

"Thanks for the-" she began, when her attempted goodbye was interrupted by the slam of the front door, clicking sound of stiletto heels on marble, and the call of,

"Brother, where are you? I just left my meeting with the Mayor, and we have something to discuss" from across the foyer.

"I'm in the living room, Rebekah, and we have a guest," Klaus responded, as he stood up. Rebekah entered the room, wearing one of her typical killer outfits, with an upset and startled expression on her normally calm and collected face.

"Oh, it's you." Rebekah commented when her eyes settled on Caroline where she sat, not knowing if she should take this interruption as her chance to leave, or if the news that Rebekah was something worth sticking around the Mikaelson house a bit longer to hear. "I was wondering if you would ever come back."

Caroline was a little surprised that she had ever even crossed Rebekah's mind once she had left town, but decided to settle with a simple, "It's nice to see you again too", rather than comment on it.

Apparently deciding that he was tired of being left out of the conversation, Klaus broke back in, and brought it back to the subject at hand, he asked Rebekah, "So, what was it that you needed to discuss?"

"It's Damon, Alaric, and their little field trip," she answered, her tone becoming chillingly serious. "It seems as if their research subject didn't like what they were doing, and has followed them home… To Mystic Falls"

Caroline turned to Klaus, hoping that he'd give her a hint as to what they were talking about. It was so annoying to be left out of the loop. _Wow, I must have missed a lot while I was gone, _she thought. When her eyes fell on Klaus' face though, she was not calmed or reassured. She was scared, because the look on his face was one of worry.

**A/N: I know I've been a bit slow to get into the action, but with the next chapter, things are really going to pick up. As always, reviews are welcome and appreciated!**


	3. Hey There Again

**A/n: Thanks again for all the reviews I've been getting, you guys are awesome! Chapter three, are you ready?**

Back Again

Chapter 3: Hey There… Again.

Caroline sat in the back seat of Klaus's red Ferrari FF while Rebekah took the passenger seat on their way to the Salvatore's house. After Rebekah made her announcement at the mansion, Klaus had kicked himself into action, declaring that they needed to meet up with Damon, Stefan, Alaric, Elena and Bonnie to hear all the details and plan a course of action. Caroline had no choice but to follow the two of them into the 4 car garage, and climb into the car without a word. As much as she hated that she was getting wrapped up in Mystic Falls' drama once again, she couldn't deny that she felt a thrill of excitement from the action. Before coming home, the only excitement she had in her life was when one of the frats or sororities threw a particularly big party, or planned a particularly risky prank. Being back in Mystic Falls made her realize how childish and ridiculous that all was, and it was invigorating to be at the cusp of real action again.

Klaus sped through the woods, taking turns at high speeds that would have made someone who actually was living want to faint. Caroline thanked her lucky stars that she was immortal, and that if Klaus lost control, she'd likely be able to walk away from the accident without a scratch.

With Klaus's high speed, it took the group only a few short minutes to reach the Salvatore's place, and as they pulled up the circular drive, Caroline felt her stomach drop once again. _I really need to get over this nervousness thing_, she thought to herself angrily. Yet, it was hard for her not to be nervous at the prospect of seeing her high school friends again. She didn't know how'd they react upon seeing her, or how much things had changed between the since she's left.

The three walked up the path to the door, and Rebekah knocked on the antique knocker just two times before the door was opened by Stefan Salvatore. Caroline was at the back of the trio so Stefan didn't see her at first, and directed his comment only towards the Mikaelson siblings.

"I knew you'd be coming soon, come on in" Stefan said somewhat resignedly as he moved aside to allow them to file inside. When Klaus and Rebekah had passed Stefan, he finally realized that they had a third person in their party, and exclaimed excitedly,

"Caroline! It's so good to see you! The girls will be happy to see you!" He pulled her in for a quick hug, and turned to yell up stairs, "Elena, Bonnie, come on down. Klaus, Rebekah, and a special someone is here…"

Caroline looked up in the direction Stefan had yelled in time to see a two brunette heads poke over the railing. The girls at the top of the stairs both squealed in delight and ran down the stairs to give catch Caroline up in another group hug. The three of them, together again, just as if Caroline had never left.

"Oh god, it has been way too long!" Elena said breathlessly when the three broke apart.

"We've missed you!" Bonnie added in.

"I know, I've missed you guys so much too," Caroline answered. She couldn't stop smiling, and her eyes threatened to spill over with the tears that had suddenly filled them.

Before the girls had a chance to say much more, Damon, who had sauntered into the room with Alaric while the girls were distracted said, "Sorry to break up the little reunion, girls, but we do have something kind of important to talk about."

"We'll catch up later," Elena assured Caroline, as the three girls looped their arms together and followed them men into the living room.

Caroline was a little annoyed that she didn't get to talk to Bonnie and Elena very much, but she knew that they'd have plenty of time to talk later. For now, she'd just have to focus on the newest threat to Mystic falls. She was nervous to hear the news, but relieved that she'd finally be able to know what was going on.

Once everyone was seated, Klaus began.

"I'm going to start from the beginning, so that Caroline can be brought up to speed, and I can go ahead and fill in a few holes for the rest of you." Caroline gave him a grateful nod. "A few weeks ago, a new vampire came to Mystic Falls, Daniel. He came to us injured, and we found him feasting on girls in the alley behind The Grill. It was obvious that he was recovering from some very bad wounds. When we detained him and began to question him, he told us that his wounds had been caused by a woman, and that she had compelled him to go to Mystic Falls. We had been hearing rumors about this powerful woman who was taking pleasure in torturing men, so when Daniel arrived we decided that it was time to look into things. Alaric and Damon decided to head to Brazil, where Daniel was from, to see what they could learn.

Rebekah was at the mayor's house and when she got home, she told me that this woman was in Mystic Falls now too, and that she had already killed two men, a homicide that they were working on keeping covered up for the time being. Now, that's all I've got," Klaus finished. "Damon? Alaric? Care to tell us why we have a new murderer in Mystic Falls?"

Damon and Alaric looked at each other somewhat guiltily, and it was Damon who decided to stand up from his perch next to Bonnie to address the group.

"Well, like Klaus said, we went off to Brazil to see what we could find. When we got there, there were plenty of rumors floating around about the woman, for sure. We floated around from town to town following false leads until one night when we got to a little city called Natal. A vampire in Rio De Janeiro had told us that the woman we were looking for was there, but to be careful; She hates men, and every man who went to her ended up dead. We found her at a run-down pub, and damn was she beautiful." He winked at them. "Every man in the pub had eyes only for her, and she was soaking up the attention, looking at the men like they were all delicious pieces of meat ready to be eaten. We decided that we might as well talk to her-"

"Damon decided that we should talk to her, he means. I voted for sitting back and observing for a few nights before we attempted to make contact" Alaric broke in.

"Yea, yea, I decided that we should talk to her. What better way to get information that from the source, right? Anyway, she was very tight-lipped when it came to giving away anything about her. She didn't even act interested, or fall for any bit of my natural charm." Damon feigned a look of disbelief, "It wasn't until Alaric let slip that we were from mystic falls that she acted interested at all."

"You told her that you were from Mystic Falls?" Klaus asked harshly, as everyone's turned to face a very red-faced Alaric.

"It was hard not to… she was just so alluring, and we'd had a bit to drink. It just kind of slipped out,"

"Okay, back to the matter at hand," Damon said, hoping to help out his friend and get the conversation back on track. "She found out that we were from Mystic Falls and started to ask a tons of questions, especially asking if it was true that the Original Family was living there. Seems as if the little man eater had a particular interest in you, Klaus. When she started to get too enthusiastic, we decided to head home even though we didn't get very much information out of her. We did get a name though... Keilyn Watkins. Ring a bell, anyone? "

When he heard the name, Klaus sank into the armchair closest to him and dropped his head into his hands. He knew exactly who the woman was, as well as the reason for Daniels' presence in Mystic Falls… he was there as a message.

Flashback:

_ It was a soft summer night, and Klaus was feeling pretty great. His whole family was asleep already after a long day of work, and he was going to be able to meet up with Jolissa much earlier than he initially thought that he would. The thought of being with her again made him quicken his pace until he was almost running toward the creek; the place where the two of them always met. By the creek was a large tree that they would often climb up in and spend long hours sitting in the branches, looking at all the land around them, and imagining a time when the two of them could run off to some far off village and be together. They could be together in the open rather than always sneaking around, and have a home together as a proper married couple. Klaus cherished these meetings; they were the only time when the two of them could briefly escape from reality, and the fact that Klaus was already betrothed to another. Klaus arrived at their spot to see that Jolissa was already there and waiting for him, sitting on the ground while resting her back against the solid tree trunk. _

_She looked so beautiful with her hair free and curling loosely around her shoulders, still in her nicest gown that she had worn to a town meeting earlier that day. Klaus couldn't hold himself back anymore, and he broke out in a flat out run, pulling Jolissa into his up into arms and into a passionate kiss as soon as he reached her. It felt so good to have her resting in his arms that he was able to forget about everything other than the two of them. _

_The two broke apart only when they heard a sharp intake of breath and a primal yell from behind them, in the direction of the village. Klaus turned to find Keilyn, his betrothed, standing just 10 feet away with a horrified and furious expression on her face._

"_You!" she screeched, lunging forward to grab Jolissa by the hair. "Get away now!" _

"_Keilyn, stop!" Klaus yelled back, inserting himself between the two and freeing Jolissa from Keilyn's grasp. "Jolissa, run back to the village." He commanded, wanting Jolissa to get home to safety before Keilyn decided to do any more harm._

_Jolissa did as she was told, glancing over her shoulder as she left to throw Klaus a worried expression. Klaus knew how she felt, the chances of them running away together has just decreased dramatically now that Keilyn found them._

_When Klaus finally looked up and met Keilyn's eyes, he was faced with the wrath of an angry woman. _

"_I knew that you had been up to something recently" she told him in a steady voice. "You've been acting strange and distracted. You hardly even look at me anymore. Now I know why… It's because you've been with another woman! You fool!" _

"_It's because I love her!" was all Klaus could say in return._

"_You love her?" Keilyn snorted, her eyes blazing. "You know nothing of love. I loved you, and we were supposed to get married. You make me want to kill you, just wait!" With that, she turned, shaking, and walked back to the village, leaving a stunned Klaus in her wake. _

**A/n: Hope you loved it! More to come… Please review!**


	4. Let Me Tell You

**A/N: Hey readers! I am so sorry it took me so long to update! I've been super busy with exams lately, but I know that's not a good enough excuse, haha. I'm going to try and put up both of the next chapters this week to make up for taking so long to update! This chapter contains some of the stuff from the recent episodes, but not all of it. **

Back Again

Chapter 4: Let Me Tell You

Everyone in the room stared at Klaus and shifted uncomfortably in their seats as he sat there in silence, wondering what was going through his head. _Klaus, worried?_ Caroline thought to herself, as she imagined everyone in the room was doing as well. _What, or who, could an Original vampire and hybrid be afraid of?_ It didn't take long for her to find out.

"Did you say Keilyn Watkins?" Rebekah asked Damon, speaking up for her still-silent brother, a shocked and inquisitive edge to her voice. "That is impossible. Keilyn Watkins died hundreds of years ago; she was alive during our mortal lives. This must surely be a lie."

"He's telling you what we learned. That really is her name," Alaric answered, becoming confused as well.

"He's right, Rebekah. They are telling the truth," Klaus said wearily, finally bringing his head up from his hands, but not yet moving to stand up from his position on the couch. "There is something that Mother and I have kept from you, something that we kept from everyone… The Keilyn Watkins from Rebekah and my mortal lives really is alive."

"Niklaus, please no! How could you keep such a thing from all of us? From me?" Rebekah practically shouted. Klaus nodded slowly and finally stood up in front of the fire place so that he could address the whole room.

"I'm sorry Rebekah; we really thought it was for the best. I believe that I should start with some background history so that everyone can understand" he gestured to all the faces that were turned toward him, giving Klaus their rapt attention. "Keilyn Watkins was my betrothed, as well as our Rebekah's dearest friend. We were supposed to be married on her 17th birthday. The problem was that I didn't love her… I loved another woman, Jolissa. I meet up with Jolissa one day, a week before the wedding, to try and convince her to run away with me. I couldn't bear the thought of marrying another woman when I felt so strongly for Jolissa, but Keilyn's father was a very influential man in the village, and the marriage contract between the two of us was non-negotiable. Keilyn followed me, and she came across Jolissa and me… kissing." Klaus shook his head again and looked down at his clasped hands. "She vowed that she hated me, and that she wanted to kill me."

Caroline was overwhelmed by what she was hearing. She made eye-contact with Klaus and gave him a small smile of encouragement. _Here was the ultimate mystery man, and yet he just told them all such and intimate and personal detail about himself? This must be really bad if he is willing to admit this to all of us, _she thought to herself. Klaus was being vulnerable, and she was slightly touched by this side of him, the side that was able to admit that he had a human past, just like the rest of them.

"In the morning, before I could confront Keilyn about what she saw, we all got sick. The next few days passed in a blur, and I was so physically overwhelmed that I wasn't even able to think. I was the first to awake from my transformation, and my mother told me that she needed to tell me something urgent before the rest of my family awoke. She told me that she had made one more Original vampire besides those in my family… Keilyn. My mother loved me dearly, and I had done so well at keeping up my façade of happiness and love for Keilyn that my mother saved her for me. She made Keilyn into a vampire so that we could live together, happily, for eternity. Quite the textbook happily- ever- after, huh?" He chuckled darkly to himself.

"However, there was a problem with her transformation," Klaus paced back and forth now, as the rest of people in the room's heads followed him avidly, wrapped up in his hauntingly thrilling tale. "Mother didn't know what went wrong, exactly; she just knew that Keilyn didn't turn out completely right. Her humanity 'switch' was permanently turned off, and she was forever trapped feeling the last emotion that she felt in her human life; her hatred for me, and for all men. My mother was able to cast a charm on Keilyn to make her forget who I was and our past together, but I'm guessing that with Mother's death, the charm was broken. She will now do whatever is necessary to kill me, and everyone that I love."

Klaus returned to his seat on the couch, obviously done talking. The room was filled with a stunned silence, as everyone processed what Klaus told them. _Another Original vampire! And one that is headed to Mystic Falls for the sole reason to kill people? Great, just what we need! _Caroline thought angrily. _Why can't I just come back to town for a peaceful high school reunion?_

"So what you're saying is… that you have a psycho ex on the loose that is coming here to kill you? I don't see how that's a problem for any of us..." Damon said cockily.

"Oh shush Damon, "Bonnie said as she swatted him on the arm. "It's not only Klaus's life on the line. Keilyn hates all men, remember? She could come after you too. She could come after any of you guys."

"The witch is right," Klaus said, as he gave Damon a menacing glare. "We need a plan."

The only sounds in the room were the clink of Damon's glass as he sat it down on the coffee table, and the sound of soft piano music that drifted from speakers concealed in the room's rafters. Nobody knew how they were supposed to approach the situation. It was hard enough to attempt to kill and Original, but this woman's extreme hatred for Klaus and all men made her an even tougher target. Even Klaus was uncharacteristically quiet, apparently lost in thought.

When nobody offered up a suggestion, Elena said, "How about we all take the remainder of the night to think over what we've learned. We can meet up in the morning and discuss everything." Elena's comment was met with a general murmur of agreement as nobody had any better idea.

As Caroline gathered up her things, she felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around to find Elena standing behind her. "Do you want to spend the night here, Caroline?" Elena asked her tentatively. "I know it kind of sounds cheesy and out of place at the moment, but we could have an old time sleep over with Bonnie like we used to? I think it would be nice for all of us to catch up."

Caroline was pleasantly surprised by Elena's offer. All the worries that she had felt since she started her trip back to Mystic Falls about where she stood with her old friends melted away with those few sentences from Elena.

"Of course I'd love to catch up!" She told Elena excitedly. "A sleepover sounds perfect. Let me just run home and grab some clothes and stuff, and I'll be right back."

Caroline walked to the door quickly, and it wasn't until she stepped outside that she remembered that she didn't have her car parked outside the Salvatore mansion. She had for gotten that she had ridden there with Klaus. _Oh Well, _She thought to herself_. I have two healthy legs; I might as well use them. My house isn't too far of a run away. _Caroline was not too excited at the thought at running the mile to her house, but it wasn't like she as actually going to ask Klaus to drive her there! Luckily, Caroline was spared an awkward conversation when Klaus called out,

"Need a ride somewhere, Love?"

Caroline wasn't very fond of the idea of accepting yet another ride from the confusing Original, but riding with him would be faster, and spare her some possible damage to her new boots.

"Actually, that would be wonderful," Caroline answered, making her way slowly toward where Klaus was standing next to his Ferrari. Klaus opened her door for her, in a gallant gesture, and then walked over to get in on the driver's side.

"Where's Rebekah?" Caroline asked, starting the conversation with a simple question. Even though it was a short drive to her house, she had had enough awkward conversation pauses for the night.

"She was hungry," was his simple reply. Caroline gave him an unsatisfied glance for his short response, so he quickly continued, "I think that she just wanted to be alone. Keilyn and Rebekah were close friends growing up, and I know that this news is a lot for her to handle. I can't believe that it's all coming out like this." Klaus said the last part almost at a whisper as if he was only talking to himself.

Caroline could tell that the night had been trying for Klaus too, dredging up those tough memories from the past. She felt the need to help him out in any way that she could, so she put her hand on Klaus's taunt bicep comfortingly, a little surprised at herself for touching him. "I think you did the right thing, Klaus." She told him. "I understand that you were just trying to protect her, I know that it would be hard for me to accept the fact that my best friend turned into a crazy vampire too. Imagine Elena as a psycho vampire... Scary!"

Klaus laughed at that, and it made Caroline feel good that she had done what she could to help him out. By now, the two had reached Caroline's house, and she chose not to comment on the fact that he knew the way without any help from her.

"Well… Goodnight, Klaus." Caroline said as she put her hand on the door handle, ready to head into her house. Klaus surprised her by moving around the car at vampire speed to open her door for her, and gently grasping her hand to help her out of the car.

"Goodnight, Caroline." He replied, and with a quick, soft kiss to the back of the hand he had been holding, Klaus got back into the car, leaving a slightly dumbfounded Caroline in his wake.

**A/N: I hope you guys liked it! Like I said the next chapter should be up really soon, I already have It pretty much all planned out. Please review!**


	5. The Plan

**A/N: Once again, I have to apologize for taking a million years to update. I don't want to go into all the gory details, but my computer got a virus, and it took forever to get fixed. Sorry! On a happier note, thanks to all of you that reviewed and added me to their alert lists! **

Back Again

The Plan

Caroline had more fun with the girls that night than she had in a really long time. The girls made Puppy Chow and watched The Notebook. She had forgotten how good it felt to relax and gossip with her old friends like they had in high school. The girls instantly re- clicked, and Caroline felt so welcome back in their little circle that she felt like those 5 years she had spent away were nothing but a blink in time.

Over the course of the night, Caroline heard about what the girls had been up to and was brought up to speed on all the town gossip. Marriage was treating Elena and Stefan well; Elena had been spending a lot of time working on the mansion and renovating it recently. Bonnie bought herself a shop on the outskirts of town where she sold products for homeopathic medicines and a few witchey items to the people who knew what to ask for. What surprised Caroline the most was that Bonnie and Damon had been dating! They were going on 1 year, and Bonnie hinted that she was hoping for a proposal soon.

When the morning came, Caroline felt refreshed and ready to face the current threat in the seemingly endless list of pearls that fell on Mystic Falls. The girls were all gathered in the kitchen, Elena making pancakes while Bonnie made juice and Caroline cut up some fruit, when all the boys began to trickle in.

"Good morning little witch," Damon greeted Bonnie with a kiss on the cheek as he grabbed himself a cup. "I can't believe that you spent the night here last night and you didn't spend it in my bed… You girls kept Stefan and me up all night with your constant giggling. What is it that you guys talk about at these slumber parties anyway?"

"You, my dear, will never find out." Bonnie laughed as she poured Damon some juice and then brought the pitcher to the table where everyone had sat down. Caroline looked at the two of them and sighed to herself. She couldn't believe that the two of them were so damn cute together. She expected such a move from Stefan and Elena since they always acted like that, but from Damon and Bonnie? If Damon could be in a relationship with someone as pure and sweet as Bonnie, then why couldn't she find someone?

Alaric followed in Stefan and Damon a few minutes later. He looked haggard, and went straight for the coffee. It was apparent that he had been up late the night before, probably researching Keilyn with the same dogged dedication that he always applied to his little projects.

Caroline was sitting at the table chatting idly with Bonnie, Damon, and Alaric while Elena and Stefan did the dishes when she heard the chime of the doorbell.

"That must be the Mikaleson's, I'll get it," Stefan called as tossed down the dishtowel and made his way toward the front door. He returned just a few seconds later with three vampires trailing in his wake. Along with Rebekah and Klaus, there was a new vampire that Caroline had never seen before, but she sure was impressed by what she saw. The new vampire was male, standing at about 6'5'', with dark, tanned skin and dark hair to match. It was apparent even under his loose, linin shirt and pants that he was well muscled and would be a formable opponent in any fight. His face, while complete with razor sharp cheek bones, was somehow soft and comforting. He was easily one of the most beautiful men that she had ever seen.

"Hi, I'm Daniel," The beautiful man said as he stepped forward to catch Caroline in a hug and kiss her on both of her cheeks.

Caroline was so overwhelmed by the beautiful man that all she could manage was a soft, "I'm Caroline," before going back to gazing at him as if he was a priceless piece of art.

Caroline was so wrapped up in her and Daniel's own little world, that she jumped a little when Klaus cleared his throat and said, "Well then, If you're done standing around like silly teenagers, we can go ahead and get to work." Caroline was instantly embarrassed as well as caught off guard by the tone she thought she heard in Klaus' voice. He almost sounded mad… As if he was not at all pleased by the idea of Caroline getting friendly with Daniel. Caroline shot Klaus a guilty look before following Bonnie into the living room.

When everyone had filed into the living room and taken their places on the assorted couches and chairs where they had sat the night before, with Klaus stood to command everyone's attention from his station in front of the fire place. He looked strong and had a determined yet grim look in his eye that made Caroline lean forward a little in her chair in anticipation of what he'd say.

"As we discussed last night, we have a very powerful new enemy in our town that needs to be dealt with…" He opened the discussion.

As the conversation wore on, Caroline processed everything they were saying with about half of her usual brainpower. She was too distracted by looking back and forth between Klaus and Daniel. She understood her tendency to let her eyes wonder over to Daniel; He was extremely attractive, new, and she had felt an instant connection to him when he walked into the kitchen. What she didn't understand was why she kept looking at Klaus too. _Yea, he did kiss me_ She thought to herself, _but that was just the back of my hand and some sort of formal goodbye, right?_ No matter how hard she tried to suppress any sort of positive- or admittedly romantic-feelings toward Klaus, she couldn't stop thinking about how nice the soft pressure of his lips on the back of her hand had felt, and how much more open he had been acting toward her than before.

Caroline was so lost in thought that she almost jumped out of her seat when she heard her name mentioned and all eyes turned to her. "Umm, what?" Was all she was able to nervously bite out.

"Come on Barbie, have you not been listening to a thing we've said?" Damon asked her impatiently. It was clear that he was not very happy with the way the meeting was going, and her loss of concentration had only added to his annoyance. "You're going to be the one that takes care of her. You are going to kill Keilyn Watkins," he continued.

Caroline froze in shock. She did not expect that she'd play such an important role in the plot to take down Keilyn. She didn't know how to react to Damon's news, so "oh, okay" was her only response.

The meeting concluded pretty soon afterwards after a few more details had been discussed, none of which Caroline was able to comprehend. She was still too overwhelmed by the prospect of attempting to kill an original vampire who was stark mad! It was not until everyone started to stand up and head towards the front door that she realized that she needed to be filled in with a lot more information if she had any chance of not screwing up the plan.

Caroline felt lost. She needed someone to tell her what was going on, but if she asked Elena or Bonnie, she'd be forced to tell them why she was so distracted from the meeting in the first place. There was no way that she as going to tell them about her odd fascination with Daniel, or worse, Klaus! Her only chance at getting answers to her questions without having to reveal her secret was to talk to Rebekah or Klaus since they weren't likely to ask her any questions.

Daniel and Rebekah left together followed closely by Alaric, but luckily Klaus loitered a little in the foyer. _This is my chance, _Caroline thought to herself. After quickly checking to make sure that the girls, Damon and Stefan were occupied, she darted out of the living room, grabbed Klaus's arm, and pulled him out of the front door and around the house.

Caroline didn't stop running until she had reached a little clearing in the dense forest behind the mansion, which had a convenient fallen tree in it that was perfect for sitting on. When Caroline released Klaus's arm, he took a seat on the log and looked up at Caroline with a startled look in his eye, yet he remained silent to allow Caroline to take the conversation where she wanted.

"So…" Caroline began nervously, glancing from Klaus's face and back to the grass again, afraid to stare at him for too long. She settled on pacing back and forth in front of the log so that her eyes would have places to wonder to besides the handsome man who was staring up at her so intently. "I need you to fill me in on the plan. I would have asked one of the girls, but then they'd ask me why I wasn't listening and then get super worried that something is wrong with me and stuff. So yea, fill me in, captain." Her sarcastic tone was somewhat marred by the slight tremor that accompanied it. She was still a little shaken up by Damon's revelation of her role in 'The Plan'.

If Klaus was confused by her lack of knowledge, he didn't show it. Instead, he slowly laid out the details for her. Rebekah and Klaus would talk to the council and the police to keep their eye out for any activity that would indicate Keilyn's location or plans. Everyone else would stay aware as Bonnie also tried a few locator spells. Once Keilyn was located, Rebekah would move in to distract her; bring up their past together and hopefully keep her so engrossed in their trip down memory lane that Caroline would be able to sneak up and stake her. Klaus would be on hand to move in for further distraction if necessary.

"Okay, this is starting to make a little bit more sense," Caroline said when Klaus finished. By now she had stopped pacing and was just standing in front of Klaus. "But that still doesn't explain, why me? Why do I have to be the one to kill Keilyn? Wouldn't it be a bit easier and less risky if Damon or Stefan did it?" She looked at Klaus hopelessly, still unable to accept what she had to do.

Klaus stood up and placed one of his large hands on her shoulder. "Look Caroline, you have to be the one to kill Keilyn because you are the only one out of all of us who can." Klaus caught her eyes in his, keeping the eye contact to convey the sincerity of what he was saying. "Neither Rebekah nor I will be able to kill her because we are too close to her. The Salvatore brothers can't kill her because the sight of vampire boys will drive Keilyn crazy and she will probably kill them before they have a shot at her. We need a vampire to kill her because humans don't possess the strength or speed needed. It has to be you, Caroline."

Now he moved his hand down her arm so that he could take her hand in his. The movement should have startled Caroline but instead, she felt it natural and comforting. "I believe in you, Caroline. I know that you can do it."

Somehow, Caroline believed what he said. She believed that she could do it because Klaus told her that she could. Caroline believed that she could kill Keilyn Watkins.

**A/N: Once again, sorry it took so long! Hope you loved the chapter, and please review!**


	6. Waiting

Chapter 6: Waiting

When Caroline returned home after her conversation with Klaus, she went straight to the supply closet to gather up cleaning supplies. She cleaned when she was stressed and right now, she was more stressed than she had been in years.

When she left the Salvatore mansion, it was with the promise that Klaus would let her know right away when he learned anything. Bonnie was going to try some of her locator spells at the shop later, and Alaric was still busy researching, so she was just supposed to go home and wait. Caroline Forbes did not do 'Just Wait', and it killed her to know that Keilyn was out there and there was nothing she could do about it.

No matter how hard she tried to concentrate on her cleaning, she wasn't able to keep her mind from wondering back to the talk she and Klaus had had in the woods and the task that had been assigned to her. Also, she kept thinking about the way Klaus had made her feel when they were alone together, but she tried especially hard to block that out whenever her mind wandered there. She had too much to worry about already besides some weird feelings for a dangerous original anyway.

After a full day of sweeping, dusting, vacuuming, and doing all the dishes in the kitchen that her mom had apparently been too busy to get around to, Caroline sat down on her bed to decide what to do next. She wasn't hungry, so that ruled out going hunting. She had just finished reading _The Lucky One_ by Nicholas Sparks and hadn't had a chance to run by the bookstore, so that ruled out reading on the back porch. She was much to hyped up to read anyway.

Caroline glanced at the clock on her dresser and saw that it was already 7:30. A perfect time to get out of the house and head over to The Grill to grab a drink. She was tired of being alone with her worry.

Caroline quickly showered and changed into a simple navy sundress and some wedges then sent a text message to Elena and Bonnie asking them to meet her in ten minutes for some end of the day drinks. Unfortunately, both girls texted her back almost instantly apologizing and saying that they wouldn't be able to meet her. Elena had already made plans to go out to dinner with Jeremy, and Bonnie was stuck at the shop waiting for a new shipment to come in so she wouldn't be free for an hour or two.

_Just great, _She sighed to herself, _now I don't have anybody to go out with, and there is no way that I'm going to sit at the bar all alone like some resident alcoholic. _She thought for a few minutes about whom she could ask to go with her instead, but she quickly tossed aside each name as it came to her. She didn't want to call up any of her old high school friends because they were just too different now; She'd changed way too much from the preppy head cheerleader and head of every dance committee type of girl that they remembered her to be. Besides, she'd be seeing plenty of them at the high school reunion anyway.

There was no way she'd call Rebekah since although she'd been acting a little more kind to her recently, she still wouldn't exactly call her a pal. Caroline briefly toyed with the idea of calling Daniel… But she felt too on-edge to attempt to be flirtatious right now.

After running down the rest of her mental list of acquaintances and friends, Caroline settled on calling up the last man that she'd ever think of voluntarily spending time with… Klaus. Initially, she had quickly discarded any thought of calling him because of the obvious arrogance and violence that generally accompanied the man; not to mention the weird tension and looks that the pair had been sharing recently. But, Caroline's mind returned to him because of the comfort and trust that she had felt in his presence when she was with him earlier. With the way her nerves had gotten to her throughout the day, despite the mind-numbing cleaning, she'd love to feel that confidence that he had encouraged in her again.

Caroline stared at her phone where it lay next to her on the bed for a few seconds before she picked it up. She almost wanted to back out, but there was no way that she was going to spend the night at home after she had already done her make-up and gotten dressed!

The phone only rang twice before she heard a deep voice coming from the other end.

"Yes, darling?" Klaus answered the phone.

Caroline decided to go straight for the question rather than dancing around with pleasantries, so she said, "I was wondering if you wanted to go grab a drink with me at The Grill right now? I really want to get out of the house, " She asked him all in one breath so as to get it over with quickly.

"I've been wondering when you'd return the favor, you know. I did invite you in for drinks the other night… Pick you up in five minutes." Klaus responded slowly and deliberately with his English accent coming out in an annoyingly sexy way. She was planning on telling him that they could just meet at the bar, but he disconnected the call before she had a chance to respond.

Caroline told herself to stay on guard with the man, yet she couldn't help the smile that spread across her face and the slight butterflies of anticipation in her stomach as she put down her phone and checked her reflection in the mirror. Blonde hair loosely curled, blue eyes sparkling under her lashes matched by her favorite blue dress, and legs looking endless in her wedges… She was ready to go.

Klaus's Ferrari pulled up her driveway exactly when the allotted five minutes was up. Caroline watched as he stepped out of his car, and her breath hitched a little bit at what she saw. Klaus was wearing dark denim jeans that fit him remarkably well and a white button-up Polo shirt that hinted at the definition of his arms and torso beneath it. His hair looked perfectly disheveled, and the hint of scruffy stubble on his cheeks only added to his rugged appeal.

_Rugged appeal? _Caroline thought to herself angrily, _Why in the world am I thinking stuff like that? I didn't even want to call the man, plus, we're only going out for casual drinks that I was the one to plan. Goodness, I need to pull myself together and stop being so ridiculous. _

By the time Caroline answered the door, she was a bit more composed, and able to greet Klaus calmly without staring at him. Okay, maybe there was a little bit of staring, but she did try her best to keep it to a minimum.

"Okay then, should we head out?" Klaus asked her after the two greeted each other and he held out his arm to her.

"Yup, we might as well, " Caroline, answered cautiously as she looped her arm through his and allowed him to lead her to the passenger side of his car. Klaus opened the door for her and the helped her get into the car since it was so low to the ground and she was wearing a dress and heels after all.

The perfect gentleman; a bit too perfect… Caroline would have preferred that he did something annoying or outrageously cocky to help rid her of some of the inappropriate feelings that Klaus was provoking in her. Once Klaus had walked around the car, settled into the drivers seat, and closed the door, Caroline became all too aware of what a small space the two were sharing. If she moved her arm over a few inches, she'd be able to brush his where it lay on the gearshift.

_Stop, stop, stop! _She shouted at herself mentally, _You need to stop acting like a freshman with a crush on the senior football captain right now, and treat this little outing like what it is, just a meeting between two acquaintances. _Caroline settled for staring out the window and watching the town fly by, and Klaus let her sit there in silence.

When the two reached the bar, Caroline used her vampire speed to step out of the car before Klaus would have a chance to open the door for her, and let him follow her to the entrance after hastily scrambling out of the car after her. She smiled at herself a bit for successfully avoiding giving Klaus yet another opportunity to be charming and, for once, being one step ahead of him.

Caroline and Klaus had seated themselves at the bar, Caroline ordered a glass of red wine, and Klaus had ordered a beer before they started up a conversation. Caroline was worried that they'd run out of things to talk about and fall into awkward conversation before they had gotten half way through their first drinks, so she tried to put off the moment for as long as possible.

"So, what do you think Keilyn's waiting for? To make her move, I mean," Caroline asked Klaus to start the conversation going with one of the few things the pair had in common.

"I really don't know," Klaus stared at the glass in his hands and speculated out loud, "It could be any number of things. Maybe she's waiting to get me alone so that she can attempt to capture me. Maybe she wants to attack me in a crowded place so that not only is my family's cover here thrown, but she also would make it hard for me to attack her to the best of my abilities with a million human eyes trained on us… I really have no clue. Perhaps she's seen Rebekah, and that threw her off her path. Anyways," Klaus glanced up from the glass he'd been fiddling with and met her eyes with a charming smile, "I'd really rather not talk about Keilyn right now. Tell me more about you"

Caroline found it easy to open up to Klaus about her past and what had been going on in her life recently. She told him about what it was like to grow up with the town Sheriff as a mom, how hard it was for her when her dad left, and all about how she threw herself into every school activity that she could so that she could have a part of her life that only she could control. Caroline surprised herself by even telling Klaus about life at college, the detachment she had been feeling from Mystic Falls before she had returned, and how much that had made her feel like an outsider at times.

All the while, Klaus avidly listened to Caroline talk and asked her questions about what she was telling him, making it obvious that he really cared about her answers and was not only listening with half an ear to be polite. Klaus even matched her stories and recollections with some excerpts from his own past with his whole family, and his time that he spent with Rebekah and Stefan as his only companions. Caroline learned that Klaus had traveled all over the world and was knowledgeable on almost any subject that she'd bring up.

"Hey there girlie," Caroline started as she heard a voice from behind her in the middle of Klaus's explanation of why France was a better place to travel than Spain, and turned to see who had called out to them. Damon and Bonnie were walking toward them with Bonnie's eyebrows almost disappearing into her hair, showing her surprise at whom Caroline was sitting there with.

"Hey Bonnie!" Caroline blushed a little yet managed a smile. "You're here early, aren't you?"

"Nope, two hours from when you called me, just like I told you I'd be."

_Whoa, two hours?_ Caroline thought in awe. She couldn't believe that so much time had passed without her noticing. She was so worried that they wouldn't have much to talk about, yet the two had managed to keep up over an hour's worth of conversation without any awkward pauses or escape trips to the bathroom.

Damon and Bonnie joined Caroline and Klaus at the bar, and the group chatted amiably, keeping it light and enjoying each other's company. Caroline felt relaxed and at ease except for the occasional looks that she received from Bonnie which clearly indicted that Caroline would have a lot of explaining to do later; during those moments Caroline pretend to be avidly examining the wall directly to the left of Bonnie's head.

Caroline was thinking that there was no need for her earlier worries, and that the day would pass without a trace of drama when she heard her phone vibrate in her clutch as well as the various jingles and vibrations of her companion's phones; obviously, a group message. Caroline nervously pulled her phone from her bag and read that she had one new text message from Stefan. The message said…

**Sheriff Forbes just contacted. Keilyn spotted in route to The Grill. We are on our way. **

Caroline glanced up from her little screen to see the emotion she was feeling reflected on the faces of Damon, Bonnie, and Klaus… Terror.


	7. Chapter 7: Hello Keilyn

**A/N: I'm so, so sorry for taking so long to update, and I'm not even going to try and make any excuses for how long it took me. Please forgive me, and I hope you amazing readers love this chapter! P.S. Thanks to blbblesmonster, tearzofthestarz, and I Love All Books TVD Klaroline for reviewing my last chapter, as well as all you sweet people whom favorite or followed me! You guys are the best!**

Chapter 7: Hello, Keilyn

Caroline turned to Klaus, knowing that he would take the lead. When she caught his eye, she saw his look of horror become covered by a hard mask of determination.

And just like that, Klaus was gone, darting out the back door of the bar with his vampire speed and leaving three stunned people in his wake.

_ What?! How can he leave us like this? _Caroline thought, confused by Klaus' sudden disappearance. _We need him!_

However, before the little group had a chance to react, Klaus was back at Caroline's side, gripping a polished wooden stake in his right hand.

"Okay ladies and gent, obviously we're going to need to amend our plan a little bit seeing as the situation is not one that we were prepared for. Caroline, you'll hide with this stake, in the bathroom." He waved the stake casually in his hand, waving in the general direction of the restrooms, "Bonnie, you are to assist Caroline in any way that she needs you too. Damon, you sit at that stool" he pointed at a stool on the far end of the long bar, close to the wall, and slightly obscured from view by a large support column, " and be prepared to step in and help me if it looks like I'm in need of a some vampire strength assistance. I hope it won't come to that, but I want us to be ready just in case. I will remain here to deal with Keilyn, and keep her distracted until Caroline is able to sneak up from behind and stab her with the stake."

The group all nodded or murmured their support, getting ready to assume their positions. As Caroline stood up and reached for her purse from the back of her stool, she felt Klaus grab her arm and spin her so that the two were standing face to face.

"Caroline," he said, looking her straight in the eyes with gentleness in his features, "I believe you can do this, we can do this together. I won't let her hurt you." Caroline barely managed a little nod and a weak smile before she followed Bonnie away.

Keilyn walked into the bar, followed by two tough but dazed looking men. She bypassed the tables of already-drooling men, and sashayed directly up to Klaus, only stopping a foot or two in front of him.

"Niklaus, what a pleasure it is to se you again, my dear. You don't know how much I've been looking forward to this."

"The pleasure is all mine, I'm sure" Klaus responded with his characteristic slightly sarcastic tone, successfully hiding the fact that he had been dreading her arrival.

"What are you doing in this depressing town anyway? It's filled with boring humans, and not at all the type of place I'd imagined you to be hiding in. It made my search quite tough until those men ran into me in Brazil…"

"I'm not hiding, Keilyn. I have a life here, and quite enjoy the community"

"Enjoy the community? I'd have thought you'd be done with small towns where it's impossible to keep secrets after you left our childhood village in such a disgraced state… Surely there must be another reason why you're here."

"I had a hunch you would bring that up eventually"

"Bring what up, or shared past" Keilyn shook her head indignantly, "You and your family left me alone, in our village. I woke up all by myself, confused, with a burning hatred driving me to kill all the men in the village that I didn't understand. I drank from each and every one of them until there wasn't a sip of blood let. By the time that I was able to slightly calm down, and realize what I had done, the women in the town were all coming at me frightened with knives and pitchforks. The women that I had cooked with and collected winterberries with every year since I was old enough to carry a basket had all turned on me and saw me as a monster. I became an outcast to everyone I had ever loved, and was made to flee the village. How can you expect me to have forgotten about that? Now is time for me to have my revenge on you for making me into this awful being that I am today."

"Keilyn, you know that I am truly sorry for what I and my mother did to you. It was not gentlemanly for me to be with Jolissa behind your back, and it was not fair of my mother to turn you for me without any consideration of what you wanted your future to be like. Please let us just talk about this, and put the past behind us." Klaus calmly responded.

"You see, Klaus," Keilyn answered as she started to circle Klaus, whispering in his ears, "I can't leave what happened in the past. My hatred for you is the strongest feeling that I have, and it is not until I have killed you that I can even begin to imagine moving on."

Caroline felt completely lost, closeted in the bathroom without being able to see what was going on. All she could do was tightly grip Bonnie's arm and listen with her vampire hearing and wait for her opportunity to strike. When she heard Klaus and Keilyn's conversation become more tense as Keilyn reminisced about their shared past, Caroline decided that their talk might not be going on much longer and it was time for her to join them.

Caroline emerged from the bathroom, gripping the stake firmly in her right hand, Bonnie following directly in her wake. Bonnie would do what she could to help protect Caroline, even though she didn't know how useful her powers would be against such a strong vampire. Caroline's heart was pounding so fast that she was afraid it would jump out of her chest, so she tried to take a few solid, deep breaths before she entered the main room of the bar

When she turned the corner, Caroline paused for a second to take in the scene she was faced with. She was standing about 15 yards from Keilyn's back, so she had no clue what her facial expression was. The two men that she had come in with were leaning casually on the bar on the end closest to the entrance; obviously cutting off everyone's escape. Klaus was facing Caroline, and his whole body was rigid ad tense. His gave no indication that he noticed her presence besides the minute widening of his clear, blue eyes.

Keilyn was completely engrossed in whatever she was discussing with Klaus. This was her chance.

Before she could give herself the opportunity to think, Caroline launched herself forward and cocked back her arm, ready to stab. She was never able to make contact though, because as she brought her arm forward, Keilyn spun and caught Caroline's wrist in her own hand, stopping Caroline mid-swing.

Caroline stiffened in surprise and attempted to free herself from Keilyn's vice-like grip, but couldn't. The pressure was so extreme that Caroline felt as if she was wearing a bracelet made out of two tons of bricks.

"Who the hell are you?" Keilyn asked Caroline angrily as she finally released Caroline's wrist and pushed her backwards violently. Keilyn glanced down at the stake that she was now had possession of with a puzzled look on her face. " And why the hell are you attempting to kill me?"

Caroline looked to Klaus for guidance, not knowing how to respond.

"She's with me," Klaus said, stepping forward to stand protectively beside her.

"Of course," Keilyn answered, also taking a step toward the two with a hint of hurt blending with the anger in her voice. " You couldn't stop yourself, could you? You always had to have a slutty blonde by your side, and she is just the newest version of Jolissa. I can't believe I ever had any type of feelings for you… No matter," she now had a wicked grin on her lips which was the complete opposite of the angry frown that she had sported for the past few minutes, "This'll just make killing you so much more entertaining and satisfying…"

With that final proclamation, Keilyn closed the remaining space between them, and struck out hard, her closed fist connecting with the side of Caroline's face with a resounding _Crack, _effectively knocking Caroline to the ground and keeping her out of the fight for the time being. Next, Keilyn turned on Klaus where her blow was met by a solid resistance as her opponent this time was prepared for the attack.

Klaus battled with Keilyn, each matching the other hit for hit. The two original vampires were equally matched in strength, Keilyn's hatred for Klaus making up for the advantage of his additional werewolf muscle.

While the two were occupied with each other, Caroline was able to recover and was joined by Damon and Bonnie, the little group standing at the edge of the space that Klaus and Keilyn were fighting in, not knowing how they could help. They were worried if they tried to haphazardly join in the fray, they would all just get in one another's way and not get anything accomplished.

Caroline looked up from the fight and noticed that Keilyn's lackeys were also deciding what they should do to help, both men gesturing at the fighting figures and talking quickly.

"Damon, Bonnie!" Caroline half-whispered, breaking the couple out of the trance-like state they had fallen into while watching the enthralling fight and capturing their attention. "Look!" she pointed at the men, "You two go over and deal with those men. They look as if they're getting ready to join the fight at any minute."

"Good idea," Damon agreed, "But what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to try and help Klaus."

Bonnie and Damon skirted the battlefield, heading toward the Keilyn's men, leaving Caroline rooted in place, attempting to come up with a plan.

That's when she saw it. Keilyn had dropped the stake at some point during her struggle with Klaus, and it was lying just a few yards away. Caroline decided that it was time for round two of trying to stab Keilyn while she was distracted with Klaus.

Moving as fast as she possibly could, so that she had a better chance of succeeding this time, Caroline scooped up the stake and jumped toward Keilyn, ready to strike. However, once again, the original vampire was too fast for her-even as she was distracted by Klaus- and she caught Caroline in the air, grasping her in a tight headlock and attempting to muscle the stake out of Caroline's hands with her free hand.

Klaus, momentarily forgotten by Keilyn, grabbed Keilyn's arm, attempting to free Caroline. Keilyn would not surrender Caroline, and grasped her throat even tighter to ensure that Klaus could not help her escape, still struggling with Caroline for possession of the stake.

Finally, Keilyn removed the stake from Caroline's hands, which was a triumph for Keilyn only until Caroline used her now-free hands to help Klaus free herself, and quickly tumbled out of Keilyn's grasp, backwards onto Klaus, making the pair fall on the ground.

Keilyn was not deterred by Caroline's newfound freedom, and lounged forward, ready to stake Caroline, while emitting an odd growling sound.

Before Keilyn could make contact with Caroline, Klaus rolled on top of her, reversing their positions so that he became the one exposed to Keilyn.

The stake found it's home in Klaus's lower back, missing his heart because of the maneuver he had pulled. Klaus went limp, badly injured, but not dead. Caroline was stunned by Klaus's selfless protection, and shifted under the additional weight, attempting to pull the stake out of Klaus's back, but Keilyn swatted her hand away.

"No, let him suffer. He deserves it"

"No he doesn't" called out Damon who left Keilyn's little friends limp on the ground, and walked over to swiftly pull out the stake before retreating to the back of the bar, creating a greater distance between Keilyn and the stake so that she wouldn't have a chance to use it again.

Keilyn and Caroline both watched as Klaus slowly began to regain his strength while Bonnie came up from behind Keilyn, using her distraction to give Keilyn a aneurism. Her spell did not have the same amount of effect on Keilyn as it did on normal vampires, but it was still enough for Caroline and Klaus (even in his recovering state) to pin her down.

"Damon, toss us the stake, would you?" Klaus called out as he held out his hand to receive it, all the while keeping his gaze intent on Keilyn. Bonnie stopped the attack on Keilyn's brain, but stayed close by incase she was needed.

Damon tossed the stake into Klaus's waiting hand. Caroline looked over to Klaus, crouched next to her, and watched as his arm vibrated in place, betraying the silent battle that was going on inside of Klaus. Caroline imagined that part of him wanted to stab the woman and get the killing over with, while another part of him felt guilty and responsible for the position that they were all in.

Klaus sat back on his heels, his arm falling to his side. It was obvious that his remorse had won, and that he did not have the drive to kill Keilyn.

Keilyn took advantage of Klaus's conflict to scramble away from the pair, wearily eyeing Bonnie. Keilyn stood up when she had reached her injured minions, and called out to the group while making no move for another attack.

"I told you that I would kill you and the one you loved, and I am one to keep my word. You two might want to be on the look out. Next time we meet, you won't have all your little friends here to protect you... Next time, you won't survive." Keilyn snarled viciously. With those parting words, Keilyn turned on her heel and nonchalantly strolled out of the bar.

Once the heavy, wooden door closed behind Keilyn, Caroline felt Klaus' arms tighten around her and she was finally able to slightly relax, knowing that she'd be safe while she was with him. Although Keilyn's threat made her insides freeze, she felt a little better knowing that Klaus would be there to protect her.

After a few seconds of shocked silence, the noise level began to rise in the bar and Klaus slowly released his hold on Caroline. Bonnie immediately took his place, wrapping Caroline up in a reassuring and relieved hug followed by a pat on the back from Damon.

"Wow," Damon said, making the word come out as a sigh.

"Yea, wow is right" Caroline agreed, mirroring his exhausted tone. The confrontation with Keilyn had left them all tired and on-edge.

The group all took seats back at the bar wearily, each processing what had just happened. Caroline was already tired of dealing with Keilyn. They all thought that they'd be rid of her after just one round of 'battle', yet she just got away, and with more threats to boot! This was so far from what she had expected when she had invited Klaus out for a friendly drink that a small giggle escaped her lips from the humor of it all. She couldn't believe that her biggest fear for the evening was that she wouldn't be able to keep up a conversation with Klaus. Now, she'd welcome a stilted, awkward conversation over a drink or two followed by a hasty excuse for her to go home early rather than meeting Keilyn.

The tired group remained silent, waiting for the rest of the crew to arrive.

**A/N: Hope you liked the extra long chapter! As always, please don't forget to review! **

**P.S. Get excited for some Karoline action in the next chapter! **

**Response to the guest user: It's not that they **_**couldn't**_** kill Keilyn, it was that Klaus (the other original vampire present) was conflicted in his emotions, and therefore not committed to the kill. Reminder… Damon, Stefan, Elijah and Bonnie couldn't kill Klaus before, so why should it be so easy to kill Keilyn? **


	8. Over The River And Through The Woods

A/N: Sorry that it took me forever to update, but here is the new chapter! For those of you who are just tuning into my fic, I thought that I'd go ahead and tell you at what point in the plot of Vampire Diaries I've set it, because I know that some of this might not make sense if you are imagining the character's lives as being where the show currently is. Elena is still together with Stefan, and Alaric is still alive… Enjoy!

Chapter 8: Over the river, and through the woods

Stefan burst into the bar at vampiric speed, with Alaric not far behind, both armed with stakes and cross bows ready for use.

"Oh great, we just about finished compelling the human patrons to forget everything that just happened, and now we're going to have to start over." Damon complained upon their entrance.

"She's gone already?" Stefan asked, as his glance around the room and was met with the faces of startled humans. "That was fast, what happened?"

"I'll tell you if you get to work," was Damon's reply as he sighed began to compel an overweight drunk man at the bar who was still staring at Stefan in shock.

With Caroline, Rebekah, Damon and Stefan all helping, they finished with the humans pretty quickly, and decided to head back to the Salvatore mansion to regroup with Elena who had been left at home for her own safety.

Caroline was jolted awake by the crunch of gravel and slight vibration of the car, as Klaus turned off the main road and onto a path that led deeper into the woods. _I must have fallen asleep during the drive, after all the excitement that went down tonight, _Caroline thought to herself, _I hope I didn't snore or talk in my sleep! _ She glanced at her watch and saw that she'd been asleep for almost two hours, and had no clue where they were.

Back at the mansion, after informing those who had not witnessed the conflict with Keilyn on what had happened, it had been decided that Klaus and Caroline needed to remove themselves to a safe place as soon as possible while the rest of the group tried to locate Keilyn. Klaus offered his personal mountain cabin as a safe house, so after quickly packing bags, the pair were off! Klaus, noticing that she was awake told her that they had just exited the highway, and would be pulling up to the cabin in a few minutes.

The cabin looked as if it were a model home for a woodsman magazine, with floor to roof windows, a stone fireplace, and a shed next to it that Caroline assumed was filled with a collection of sports equipment. The inside was filled with beautiful wooden furniture, animal-hide rugs, and with logs neatly stacked in the giant fireplace, waiting to be lit.

"You can choose whichever room you'd like upstairs, besides the first door on the right which is mine," Klaus said, entering behind Caroline, carrying their suit- cases.

"Okay, thanks" was Caroline's simple reply as she took her bag from him and made her way upstairs without making eye contact with him. Although she understood the necessity of their little camping trip, she felt a little awkward about being alone in a cabin with the man. She had been having conflicting feelings for him non-stop for the past few days, and she knew they would just get worse now that she was going to be holed up in the same house as him for she didn't know how long.

Caroline chose a room with deep blue walls, matching bedding, and white lace curtains a few doors down from Klaus's room, quickly unpacked her belongings into dresser, and then sat on her bed, not knowing what her next move should be. When she finally got up the courage to leave her bedroom, spurred onward by loneliness and boredom, she looked over the banister and noticed that Klaus had lit the fireplace, and sat in one of the plush armchairs next to it with his bare feet propped up on an ottoman. He looked so comfortable and domestic, sipping a glass of wine and reading a book that Caroline almost forgot that they were there to hide out from a crazy, murdering woman, rather than to relax and go skiing or hiking.

Before she could get caught just standing there and staring, Caroline decided that she might as well join Klaus by the fire. As she approached the armchair across from his, Klaus just looked up, gave her a small smile, and then returned to his book.

"Caroline, I'm sorry" Klaus broke the companionable silence that the two were sharing after about thirty minutes of each of them reading.

"What do you have to be sorry about?" Caroline answered as she closed her book and looked up at Klaus, confused.

"I'm sorry about earlier, I let Keilyn escape, putting your life in more danger; a mistake that I won't make again."

"Klaus, we have all already forgiven you for that. Besides, how can I be mad at you when you saved my life? If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be sitting in this cute little cabin right now" Caroline added playfully, hoping to lighten up the mood a little bit. She felt sorry for Klaus, and the way he kept punishing himself for actually acting human for once, and having some empathy for Keilyn.

"Also, if it weren't for me, you wouldn't have to be sitting in this 'cute' cabin. I should have been strong enough to kill her… I just, I don't know" Klaus now dropped his forehead into his hands, "I just couldn't kill her when it is my fault that she is like this in the first place. Back in my village, I used her and deceived her all the time so that I could be with Jolissa, having no regard for Keilyn's feelings. I didn't even recognize that Keilyn loved me; I was so blind and absorbed in my own world in which Jolissa and I were the only occupants.

Now, Keilyn's hatred and feelings are out there for me, and everyone else to see, and this time I am actually able to understand her feelings. How can I kill this woman for hating me while I know that I deserve to pay for my past sins against her?"

"Klaus, Stop!" Caroline shook her head and sighed softly at Klaus, gently leaning across the gap and lifting up his face from his hands, wanting to make all the obvious self hatred and anguish he was feeing go away, "You can not talk like that. Of course it was wrong that you deceived Keilyn to cover up your relationship with Jolissa, but that does not mean that you should be condemned to death! It is not your fault, but your mother's that she had trouble turning and is now a threat to your life and all the lives of all men. She must be destroyed for the safety of all of you. Klaus, I believe that you're not the completely horrible man that some people say that you are, and I am not going to let you get hurt for some misguided attempt to 'right the wrongs of the past'."

"Why do you care so much Caroline?" Klaus asked, catching her hand in his own, and looking at her in awe and confusion, "I have never done anything for you before except hurt people that you care about."

Caroline blushed and leaned back in her chair, trying to come up with a witty answer to his question. She had been so drawn into his apology and felt so connected to him, that she had let herself get more carried away than she had intended. "I just," She started, trying to make herself feel some of the hatred and anger for him that had come so easily to her just a few years ago, but failing miserably. "I just know that you have changed." She said, feeling like that was a simple enough answer that contained some of the truth, yet didn't reveal any of the possibly romantic emotions that he had been bringing out of her lately.

The pair was not able to continue their conversation because they were interrupted by a loud knock at the door. _Who in the world would be visiting the cabin?_ Caroline thought as she and Klaus looked at each other in confusion. _Could it be a lost hiker or someone whose car broke down? _

"Stay here," Klaus said to Caroline as he left the living room. Caroline obeyed, and listened to his cautious footsteps, and then the soft click as Klaus unlocked the door.

"You have got to be kidding me, what the hell are you doing here?" Caroline heard Klaus say as soon as he opened the door, the sharpness of his words accentuated by his British accent.

Caroline decided that Klaus had probably known whoever was at the door if he was speaking to their visitor like that, and that it would be safe for her to check things out, so she scampered up to where he stood, still blocking their mysterious caller from entering. Caroline had to stand on her tiptoes to see over Klaus's t-shirt clad shoulder, but eventually she was able to peak over and lay her eyes on… Daniel.

"Oh Daniel, it's so good to see you again! Why don't you come in?" Caroline said as soon as she saw him, giving Klaus a disapproving look when he glanced down at her. "Did Stefan and the gang send you?"

"Yes, they did," Daniel answered, making his way around Klaus and into the foyer. " They wanted me to keep an extra eye on you guys, and be here for additional protection if needed. We don't know how many men Keilyn has turned to do her bidding."

"This is supposed to be a safe house, Daniel" Klaus was still skeptical, "No phones, no Internet. Only Bonnie was supposed to be able to find us, using her witchy juju, yet I don't see her here. How did you find us?"

"Oh, that's because I followed you guys here. I would have come in sooner, but I noticed that I was running very low on gas when you guys were pulling up, and decided that I should probably go fill up the tank incase we needed to make a hasty escape."

Klaus was not yet willing to accept Daniel's presence, but he didn't have a chance to voice his discomfort because Caroline was already adopting the role of a helpful hostess and leading Daniel into the kitchen while offering to grab him a drink. Klaus decided not to follow them, and instead settled back into his chair in the living room and contented himself on listening in on their conversation for the sole purpose of ensuring his and Caroline's safety (or so he convinced himself).

Caroline, on the other hand was more than happy to be the sole entertainer of their guest. When she first saw Daniel, she was surprised by her annoyance aimed at him for interrupting the evening that she had been sharing with Klaus. However, Caroline was quick to stamp down her misplaced feelings and focus on the tall, gorgeous man who had joined them. _This is really better for me, _She told herself as she busied herself with filling up a kettle for tea, _because things were getting way to cozy with Klaus. He's one of my greatest old 'enemies', and I should not be getting so comfortable. Goodness, that makes two times today that I've made that mistake! It is definitely time for a change. _

With that final thought, Caroline committed herself to being friendly with Daniel, finding out everything that she could about him, and forgetting that there was even another man in the house.

A little past twelve o'clock at night, everyone readily agreed that it was probably about time to go to bed. Truthfully, Klaus was tired of listening to the chatter and giggles coming out of the kitchen, and Caroline was more than ready to wrap up her conversation with Daniel. Daniel was definitely good to look at, but she didn't know him very well, and despite her best efforts, Caroline quickly tired of making small talk with him while there were so many more important things going on in her life that she was not able to discuss with him. _Things that you felt comfortable talking about with Klaus, _some annoying part of her mind reminded her.

As the group wearily made their way towards the stairs, Caroline felt a slight pressure on her arm were Klaus had reached out to stop her.

"I need to speak with you for a second, sweetheart." Klaus said insistently, and then glanced up to Daniel to see that he had stopped his ascent to see what the hold up was. "Daniel, you can continue on, lad. We'll be right along behind you"

Klaus waited until Daniel had made it into his room and closed his door before he begin talking, maintaining his grip on Caroline's arm and speaking to her in a hushed whisper. "Look love, I don't feel right about Daniel's presence here, so I don't want you becoming too chummy with him. He shouldn't be here, and he definitely should not be trying to get close to you like he has been doing all evening!"

"Klaus," Caroline responded, not happy with the way that he was writing Daniel off so quickly, "He seems to be here for a good reason, and it will be good to have another vampire on our side if Keilyn does happen to find us out here! And, he is not trying to get close to me, we were just having a normal friendly conversation!" Caroline blushed at that, which she hoped Klaus would just see as her cheeks coloring in anger, wondering why it would matter to Klaus if Daniel was trying to get close to her.

Klaus just shook her head at her stubbornness, knowing that he would not be able to convince Caroline, no matter how long he tried. Besides, he thought, they needed to wrap up their conversation before Daniel got suspicious and came to investigate what was taking them so long. "Fine, you don't have to believe me; but really, don't be getting too close to him. Please," Klaus gave her arm a little squeeze and gave Caroline a feather-light kiss on her lips before turning to his bedroom and not looking back.

Once again he left Caroline short of breath and stunned by his kiss, more than a little confused by what had just happened.


End file.
